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' P. .A. WI AMS. Device for Securin ailroad Rails.

No. 235,320. Pate'nted Dec. 7, 1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

FRANCIS A. WILLIAMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR SECURING RAILROAD-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,320, dated December'7, 1880.

Application filed December 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. WILLIAMS, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain Improvements in Means of SecuringRailway-Rails in Place, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to insure the most solid and firm retentionof railway-rails in place upon their sleepers or supportingbeams, as thecase may be.

Said invention comprises a peculiarly-constructed spike, in the head ofwhich are provided two lateral bearing-shoulders with a space betweenfor the reception of the flange of the rail, the said spike being alsoconstructed with a jog or shoulder on the side opposite the aforesaidlateral bearing-shoulder, whereby provision is made for the effectiveapplication of the tightening or holding wedge for crowding the spikeclosely against the flange of the rail when said spike is applied touse, whereby, when the spike is driven into position, the flange is heldagainst either upward or downward movement.

The invention further comprises a novel combination of duplicate spikes,a bearingplate, and a tightening-wedge with the sleeper orsupporting-beam, whereby the most effective operation of the spikeitself in holding the rail against displacement in any direction isprovided for.

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing a rail confined to its sleeper by meansof my said invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of thesame. Fig. 3 comprises edge views of the spike and tightening-wedge,respectively.

A is the spike, the shank a of which may have parallel sides, and whendesired may have its lower end provided with the barb b.

The head A is constructed with the laterally-projecting shoulders e f,with the notch or recess a between. The under surface of the uppermostshoulder, e, is of a shape to fit upon or correspond to the uppersurface of the flange of the rail, which latter is shown at B in Figs. 1and 2.

The upper surface of the lower shoulder, f,

is straight, to correspond with the under side of the flange of therail.

Near the top of the spike, and at the side opposite that at which theshoulders e f are situated, is preferably a jog, g.

The sleeper or beam for supporting a rail is shown at C; and D is aplate, formed centrally in which is an oblong slot, in.

In applying the invention to use the plate D is placed upon the sleeperO, and preferably countersunk therein, as shown in Fig. 2.

Two of the spikes, hereinbefore explained, are used in securing the railin place. One spike is first driven through the slot 112, at one endthereof, and into the sleeper or beam, as shown in Fig. 2, until theupper surface of the lower shoulder, f, is brought flush with the top ofthe plate D. The rail is then placed across the sleeper and across theplate D, and one of its flanges is pushed into the notch or recess a ofthe spike already driven, as just explained. When this is done a secondspike is placed upon the opposite side of the rail, driven down throughthe opposite end of the slot on of the plate D and into the sleeper,with its inner side as close as possible against the edge of the flange,until the notch a of said second spike is brought coincident with thesaid edge of said flange, which done, a wedge, F, is driven downadjacent behind said second spike, and within the adjacent end of theslot m, and is thereby caused to crowd the said second spike inwarduntil the adjacent flange of the rail is brought within the recess a ofthe said second spike, and until the top of the wedge itself is broughtunderneath the jog at the back of the spike, which said jog prevents theaccidental displacement of the wedge. The flange of the rail istherefore firmly griped within the oppositely-placed notches or recessesa of the two oppositely-arran ged spikes of the said flange, andconsequently the rail is firmly and securely held against displacementseither vertically or laterally.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, in a device forsecurin g railroad-rails, of the holding-wedge F, with the spikeconstructed with the jog or shonll sleeper, B, and atighteuing-wedge,F,all subder g, and the laterally-pr0jecting shoulders I stantially as andfor the purpose herein set [0 ef, with the recess a between saidshoulders, forth. substantially as and forthe purpose herein set forth.1

2. A fastening for railroad-rails, composed Witnesses: of two spikes,each constructed with lateral CHAS. II. DOXAT, shoulders cf, a slottedplnte, 1).:1 supportingi II. I PARKER.

FRANCIS A. WILLIAMS.

